'I killed Miss Hart with a knife'

Man admits killing former girlfriend in a plea deal for 20 years in prison

By Bob Gardinier

Updated 10:37 pm, Thursday, June 20, 2013

Photo: SKIP DICKSTEIN

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Jason Guynup pleaded guilty to the murder of Nikki Hart on June 20, 2013, in the Rensselaer County courtroom of Judge Andrew Ceresia in Troy, N.Y. With Guynup is defense attorney Stephen Coffey. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union) less

Jason Guynup pleaded guilty to the murder of Nikki Hart on June 20, 2013, in the Rensselaer County courtroom of Judge Andrew Ceresia in Troy, N.Y. With Guynup is defense attorney Stephen Coffey. (Skip ... more

Photo: SKIP DICKSTEIN

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Jason Guynup pleaded guilty to the murder of Nikki Hart on June 20, 2013, in the Rensselaer County courtroom of Judge Andrew Ceresia in Troy, N.Y. With Guynup is defense attorney Stephen Coffey. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union) less

Jason Guynup pleaded guilty to the murder of Nikki Hart on June 20, 2013, in the Rensselaer County courtroom of Judge Andrew Ceresia in Troy, N.Y. With Guynup is defense attorney Stephen Coffey. (Skip ... more

Photo: SKIP DICKSTEIN

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Jason Guynup pleaded guilty to the murder of Nikki Hart on June 20, 2013, in the Rensselaer County courtroom of Judge Andrew Ceresia in Troy, N.Y. With Guynup is defense attorney Stephen Coffey. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union) less

Jason Guynup pleaded guilty to the murder of Nikki Hart on June 20, 2013, in the Rensselaer County courtroom of Judge Andrew Ceresia in Troy, N.Y. With Guynup is defense attorney Stephen Coffey. (Skip ... more

Photo: SKIP DICKSTEIN

Image 4 of 12

Jason Guynup pleaded guilty to the murder of Nikki Hart on June 20, 2013, in the Rensselaer County courtroom of Judge Andrew Ceresia in Troy, N.Y. With Guynup is defense attorney Stephen Coffey. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union) less

Jason Guynup pleaded guilty to the murder of Nikki Hart on June 20, 2013, in the Rensselaer County courtroom of Judge Andrew Ceresia in Troy, N.Y. With Guynup is defense attorney Stephen Coffey. (Skip ... more

Photo: SKIP DICKSTEIN

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Nikki Hart, owner of Hart Real Estate, was stabbed to death Dec. 16, 2012, at her home. (Times Union archive)

Nikki Hart, owner of Hart Real Estate, was stabbed to death Dec. 16, 2012, at her home. (Times Union archive)

Photo of Jason Guynup, who State Police say they will charge in the stabbing death of his girlfriend, realtor Nikki Hart, Dec. 16. 2012.

Photo of Jason Guynup, who State Police say they will charge in the stabbing death of his girlfriend, realtor Nikki Hart, Dec. 16. 2012.

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'I killed Miss Hart with a knife'

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Troy

The grieving family of murder victim Nikki Hart stared at Hart's ex-boyfriend in county court Thursday as he admitted stabbing the 33-year-old woman to death in December in the bedroom of her Schodack home.

Members of Hart's family, and some of Guynup's relatives, were in the courtroom. Some dabbed tears from their eyes.

Next month, Guynup will be sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.

The couple's two daughters were at home at the time of the murder on Dec. 16. Ashley Hart, the victim's sister, was at the home with her own daughter for an overnight stay. After Thursday's court session, she said Guynup barged into the house like a man on a mission.

She said he argued with her sister, which woke up one of the children. Ashley said Nikki told her to take care of the children and, before she knew what was happening, Guynup ran out the front door. Ashley Hart found her sister on her bed in a pool of blood from stab wounds to her neck.

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"It was nothing short of a heroic gesture before her death to protect the children," said District Attorney Richard McNally. "Some of Nikki Hart's last words to her sister were 'Call 911, get the kids; I will be OK.' This was a brutal act of domestic violence."

Guynup arrived at the home armed with a folding-type hunting knife, McNally said.

"She was a professional woman, always very forgiving and always looking for the good in people," said the victim's father, William D. Hart Sr.

Nikki Hart owned Hart Real Estate.

"I still have her neighbors coming up to me and saying they miss seeing Nikki," her father said.

As Hart lay dying, Guynup fled in his truck but crashed 20 minutes later on Hayes Road in East Greenbush, police have said.

Guynup then ran from the scene of the crash, but he was arrested a short while later walking along the woods just off Route 9J near the Rensselaer city line.

He had been served with an order on Dec. 7 to stay away from Hart, their house and their daughters.

Guynup initially was charged with two counts of burglary, one count each of second-degree murder, aggravated criminal contempt, second-degree menacing and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

Guynup is the brother of Robert Guynup, who was shot in 2009 and permanently disabled after he took pictures of youths partying and fighting at the Griswold Heights public housing complex near his Troy home.

Ariel Myers, then 19, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for that crime.